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Zuckerberg vs Musk: Meta launches new app Threads to rival Twitter
by cityam
HARRY STEDMAN
FACEBOOK owner Meta’s latest social media app Threads is the “first credible threat” to Twitter, according to a leading tech expert.
Matt Navarra, a social media consultant and industry analyst, said Twitter users were crying out for a more satisfying platform after being left unhappy with changes following Elon Musk’s takeover.
Threads, described as a “text-based conversation app”, will be linked to fellow Meta social media site Instagram and is due to go live tomorrow, 6 July.
Tesla and SpaceX founder Musk, who bought Twitter in October, has overseen several major alterations to the user experience, most notably the monetisation of being “verified”.
A temporary limit on the number of posts allowed to be read – originally set at 600 for non-verified users – was also introduced on Saturday.
Navarra told the PA news agency: “I think that Threads is the first real, credible threat to Elon Musk’s Twitter.” Unlike other options, Meta’s familiarity to users would prove an advantage, Navarra said.
The new app is the latest chapter in the rivalry between Meta boss Mark Zuckerberg and Musk, who last month agreed to take each other on in a cage fight in a Twitter exchange.
Under new plans, the BBC will invest in new online sites specifically for local news
